Lions DE Za'Darius Smith reflects on his intentions regarding his future for the upcoming NFL season

The Detroit Lions were one of the standout teams this NFL season. Unfortunately for them, the playoffs turned out to be a tough hurdle, as they were defeated by the Commanders at Ford Field. Now, all that’s left is to focus on what’s ahead, as Za’Darius Smith made clear in a straightforward message on his social media.

The experienced defensive end has a wealth of experience in the league, mostly in the NFC North. His arrival to Dan Campbell’s team, aiming to somewhat fill the void left by Aidan Hutchinson, lived up to expectations, at least statistically. However, on a team level, the ultimate goal couldn’t be achieved.

Regarding his future, Smith made a suggestive post on his official Instagram account @zadariussmith, where he expressed regret for not being able to reach the Super Bowl as many had hoped. However, he made it clear that he has strong intentions of staying with the franchise for the upcoming season.

“Motor City, 2024 didn’t go as planned at all; we fell short of the outcome we had planned for! 2025 gives us another opportunity to adjust and go for that championship! I enjoyed every moment with my boys, and even though some faces have changed for the new season, I hope to be a part of this great organization for the future!”

Za’Darius Smith #99 of the Detroit Lions reacts during the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at Ford Field on January 05, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan.

Could Maxx Crosby make his way to the Lions?

Aidan Hutchinson‘s serious injury mid-season forced the Lions’ management to quickly reinforce that position, and it was Za’Darius Smith who ultimately filled the role. With uncertainty surrounding the future of the former Browns and Ravens player, many are wondering who could step into that spot.

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In recent hours, a new post from Maxx Crosby on his social media has sparked excitement among Detroit fans, fueling hopes of seeing him wear their jersey next season: “Undisputed. They Will Wish They Treated You Better When Times Were Tough. The Fake Always Expose Themselves…. #LIMITLESS,” Crosby stated via @CrosbyMaxx.

The latest signals from the Raiders suggest that Crosby might be looking for a new destination, and according to SI.com, the DE has repeatedly stated that if he doesn’t play in Las Vegas, his other team would be the Lions.

Maxx Crosby, defensive end of the Las Vegas Raiders

The Lions’ challenge after serious injuries

Despite the strong campaign put together by the Lions this season, the number of injuries sustained—many of them serious—cannot be overlooked. Smith’s arrival was initially linked to Hutchinson’s absence, among other cases. The franchise’s GM, Brad Holmes, spoke to the press and shared his thoughts on the situation.

“This was the first year, especially the attrition at one spot, obviously linebacker we got really hit, we got hit in training camp at linebacker, then it trickled into the season. But pass rusher, and this was the first time we’ve had to trade for a pass rusher this year, and I will say that was the most difficult player acquisition journey that I’ve ever dealt with,” Holmes said. “Look, you can talk about – you can look at all these names of all these starting defensive ends in the NFL, but when you start doing the work and you start making the calls, that thing shrinks down.”

“From an availability standpoint, that thing shrinks down like this (to very few available). And a lot of the guys, look, we have an early – kind of have an early trade deadline, so you start calling these other teams and these other GMs and they might have four rushers. And so, forget the starters, those guys aren’t even available,” he also added.

Holmes finally concluded: “We’re talking about thirds and fourths, and I can’t really disagree with them, where they say, ‘Look, we’ve got two-plus months of football left and I trade you one and then we get another one hurt and then we’ve only got two.’ And I was like, ‘I didn’t really expect you to be rational and think about it that way.’ But it’s true, so there wasn’t, so when we got Za’Darius, he was one of a small handful of guys that were actually available to actually get that we felt was going to compete and contribute at a starter level.”